


Love Was Just A Glance Away

by from_scarlet_to_pink



Series: Kingsman Advent Calendar '17 [2]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Advent Calendar, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Civilian Eggsy Unwin, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hartwin, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Percilot - Freeform, it got away from me, it was supposed to be fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-09 18:52:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12894525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/from_scarlet_to_pink/pseuds/from_scarlet_to_pink
Summary: Roxy asks Eggsy to be her Fake Boyfriend for the upcoming Family Christmas Party. Roxy's uncle James also invited his colleagues from Kingsman.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> working from [this](http://from-scarlet-to-pink.tumblr.com/post/168094448114/verobird-christmas-prompts-some-i-made-up) list of prompts for an advent-calendar
> 
> DEC 2: pretend boyfriend/girlfriend for family Christmas party
> 
> it never actually says whose pretend boyfriend they have to be (a loophole!)

“I still don’t get why we have to do this, Rox.” Eggsy was standing in front of the entry hall mirror, failing to make his bowtie look like the one in the YouTube Video he watched.

“I need you to be my pretend boyfriend for my family’s Christmas party. That’s all. Should I try to put it in smaller words? Less syllables?” Roxy walked up to Eggsy, moved his hands out of the way, and tied the bowtie into a knot. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t come loose after five seconds, and so it would have to do for now. They were already running late.

“Oh shut up, you know what I mean. I know your parents. I even know your uncle James. And they all know that we’re not a couple, so why the acting for tonight?” After grabbing his coat and scarf, he walked over to the window, checking to see if the cab they had called had already arrived.

“Why does anyone ever bring along a pretend date - to avoid stupid questions from annoying relatives. You’re not backing out on me, are you, Unwin? You still owe me for helping you pull that prank on Jamal.”

“Nah, Rox, no worries. You said there was free food. Didn’t really pay too much attention after that tidbit of information.” He grinned and turned to look out of the window again. “Taxi’s here. You ready?”

“Yup. Let’s go.” Roxy put the lipstick she had been applying into her clutch and grabbed her keys from the table next to the door.

\------

“So, I was thinking. You just got out of a two-year relationship. Won’t it look weirder to bring me along instead of just going by yourself?” Roxy started shifting in her seat, refusing to look at Eggsy, looking out of the car window instead. “Roxy?”

“They… didn’t know.”

“You never told them about Rebecca?” Eggsy was truly gob-smacked by this statement.

“My parents knew. Uncle James knew. I just didn’t feel the need to tell the rest of the family. My grandmother is… let’s say ‘old-fashioned’. At this point in time I’m just not interested in fighting over this.”

Eggsy could hear in her voice that this was a weight on Roxy’s mind, sounding as if she was about to start getting defensive. “Hey, love, it’s alright. I’m sorry if I stirred something up. It’s just… I don’t know. Surprising, coming from you. Remember the shit you gave me until I told mum?”

“And I still stand by that, Eggs. Mum and Dad had Becca over for dinner a couple of times, but introducing her to the entire extended family… I tried bringing my first girlfriend to a function once, and grand-mother reacted… badly. She kept asking me about Derek, and why we had broken up and how I would soon see that this is all just a ‘rebellious phase’, which I would soon grow out of.”

“So, what, she thinks James is also still in his rebellious phase? After how many years, is it, that he’s been dating Percy? Or is she strongly holding on to the ‘they’re affectionate flat-mates’-idea?”

“Yes well, James’ relationship with her isn’t great either. And to her being a gay man is more socially acceptable than being a bisexual woman.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” Eggsy took Roxy’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Do you want me to scandalise her? Lay on the accent real thick? Snog you senseless right in the middle of the room? Heavily flirt with the butler?” He felt relief when he heard a giggle coming from Roxy’s side of the car.

“Oh please, don’t kid yourself. You’ll heavily flirt with anyone who brings you food, anyway. It’ll be fine, but thank you.” Roxy hoped that the simple act of looking deeply into Eggsy’s eyes could convey how sincerely grateful she was to have a friend like him, who could sense when he shouldn't go digging too deep, and when to try to lighten the mood. "And just so you know, this counts as the dinner I owe you for dogsitting last weekend."

"Really, Rox? The lengths you go to to save some cash... And here I thought we had something special going." 

The pretend sniff had Roxy rolling her eyes, but a soft slap on the arm from her turned his fake tears into giggling. "Shut up, Unwin, the food tonight will be a lot more expensive than what I'd have gotten you."

"Yeah, but at least I know what I'm getting when I'm out with you. Don't all these fancy parties have tiny servings of food that no-one can pronounce correctly?"

"Just because you don't know how to pronounce something doesn't mean that no-one can. But yes, essentially. Now show me your bowtie again, I want to make sure it hasn't come undone, we're almost there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out with notes for a fun short thing about Eggsy being Roxy's fake date and somehow ended up way deeper than expected. There'll be another chapter with all the happy stuff i intended.  
> Thought i should at least get this out while it was still Dec 2. 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

“Fuck me…”

“I think we’d both find that disappointing.” Roxy paid the cabbie and exited the car. “Shall we?”

“I thought we were going to your parents’ place. What the hell are we doing at the Natural History Museum?”

“My grand-father used to head the research department. He would have turned 100 this year, that’s why the party takes place here instead of my parent’s home. Apparently there’ll be a plaque unveiled. Come on, it’s cold, let’s get inside.”

They walked up the steps to the main entrance. “You know I’ve never actually gone in through this entrance.”

Roxy turned to Eggsy. “You haven’t?”

“Nah, far too many people. I like to use the entrance on Exhibition Road. It’s faster and you immediately take the escalator upstairs, go through volcanoes and minerals down to the rest of the museum.” Seeing the look Roxy gave him he said, “It’s free, isn’t it? Came here a lot when I was younger. Always liked it. Actually planned to bring Daisy here sometime after Christmas.”

“I’ll come with you. And then you can give me the Natural History Museum tour, Eggsy-Unwin-style.”

They reached the entrance doors, opened them and saw that the party was already well under way. The entire entrance hall was bustling with people, waiters walking around with trays. On the middle level of the grand staircase a string ensemble had set up, playing both classical music and the odd Christmas song to entertain the guests.

Eggsy helped Roxy out of her coat and brought their things to the coat room, that was set up near the entrance, while Roxy got them drinks. They walked around, looking for Roxy’s parents when they heard someone call for them. “Roxy! There you are, we were wondering when you’d be showing up.” Her uncle James was making his way toward them, hugging Roxy tightly when he reached her. “Eggsy, good to see you! I didn’t know you’d be joining us tonight.” He shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Hi there, James! Yeah, I figured Roxy needed a classy date to show around and brag about. Where’s Percy?”

“Right here.” Eggsy turned around and saw the man standing behind him, two flutes of champagne in his hands. “Hello Eggsy, how are you? Roxy, darling, you look lovely.” He handed one of the glasses to James, shook Eggsy’s hand and kissed Roxy on the cheek.

“Very good, thanks. Nice tie you got there, James.” It was possibly the most atrocious piece of Christmas-themed attire he had ever seen. A golden tie with little reindeer on it, some of them including a red ball as a nose. On top of that it was probably also ridiculously expensive.

“Please don’t encourage him.” Percy sounded a bit tired. Unlike his husband, who would often toe the line of appropriate apparel, Percival Spencer was always dressed with simple elegance, the black tuxedo he wore that night being proof of that.

“Why, thank you, Eggsy! It was about time someone had something nice to say about the effort I made. Compared to other people.” James threw an overly dramatic look Percy’s way.

“I think you look lovely, Perce. It’s good that at least one of you knows how to dress nicely.” Roxy stepped forward and removed some non-existent lint from Percival’s shoulder.

“James, I’d like you to remember this moment for when you will one day ask me why Roxy is my favourite and not you.”

The pretend outrage James displayed made Roxy and Eggsy laugh, while the man’s husband just looked at him fondly.

“There are lots of people here tonight. Are they all just here for the unveiling?” Eggsy asked.

“No, some of them are just here for the free food. And the company, of course. It’s still a family Christmas party, some of the people here don’t even know about the unveiling. In fact, we brought a couple of our co-workers along, they should be around here somewhere.”

“Have you guys seen Mum and Dad? We should say hello before dinner starts.”

“We saw them earlier, they were talking to mother, somewhere near the staircase.” James said.

“We should probably find our own guests, Harry will be in a snitch if we invite him and then ignore him all evening. We’ll see you two at dinner.” Percy said and steered his husband away through the crowd.

“Alright then, let’s find the Mortons!” Eggsy took Roxy’s hand and started walking towards the staircase.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy meets Harry and they... talk

The plaque was located in another hall, so while everyone gathered there for the speeches and the overall ceremony, the catering company quickly set up tables in the entrance hall. Eggsy was awed by the speed with which they got it done. He had worked a couple of catering jobs, and setting up took a lot of time.

After the unveiling, as the guests made their way towards the dinner tables, Eggsy excused himself to go to the restroom. On his way back he saw a man leave the group and enter the _Creepy Crawlies_ exhibit.

Curious to see what the man was up to, Eggsy walked over to the entry of the exhibit, and looked into the hallway.

The man had stopped in front of a case full of butterflies, examining them closely. But truthfully, he could have been standing next to a live dinosaur or a fucking unicorn and Eggsy wouldn’t have noticed. Right there, in this hallway, stood the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Tall, broad shoulders, hair that looked softer than a cloud and legs that went all the way up to the arctic. He was wearing a suede evening jacket with silk lapels and tartan trousers. Not many people would look good in this, but he managed to pull it off with ease.

Eggsy could have stood there for ages, just looking at the man. But, not wanting to come across as creepy, he gathered his courage, and walked over to him. Looking for something to say to the man, he decided on going with the man’s interests. “They’re pretty.”

“They are indeed. Do you have a favourite?” Even his voice was perfect. When the man turned to look at him, Eggsy was captivated by his eyes, the warm brown accentuated by the horn-rimmed glasses he wore.

“Uhm…” Eggsy quickly scanned the cases. “That one.” He pointed to the far corner, a butterfly with black wings and yellow markings.

“A giant swallowtail. _Papilio Cresphontes_. Any particular reason why you chose that one?”

“Reminds me of my favourite jacket.” Eggsy could see that this wasn’t an answer the man was prepared for, but it made him laugh. The man even had dimples, for fucks sake! “How do you know what that one is called? In Latin?”

“When I was younger I wanted to become a Lepidopterist.”

“That is… someone who…”

“Studies butterflies. And moths. I didn’t choose that life, in the end, but I still find them endlessly fascinating. It’s one of the reasons I decided to come here tonight - take a small detour and have a look around the exhibit.”

“So where did life take you, then?” Eggsy found the stranger rather interesting. Who would want to study butterflies? Alright, maybe that was a weird thought to have while standing in the middle of a butterfly exhibition, but still.

“I work at a tailor’s on Savile Row.” That would explain the fine outfit then. Even though most of the guests tonight would be able to afford bespoke clothing, not many of them chose to.

“Oh, so you work with James and Percival! I’m Eggsy, by the way” He extended his hand towards the taller man.

“I do, yes. Harry Hart. I’m in charge of the marketing at Kingsman.” He had calloused hands and a strong handshake. “I saw you come in with Ms. Morton.”

“Yes, I am her date for tonight.”

“Only for tonight?” Eggsy looked up. He wasn’t sure if the man was merely curious or if there was a light note of hope in his tone.

Eggsy smiled. He definitely liked where this was heading. “Tonight and any other night she might need me.” Harry raised an eyebrow at his words. “It’s in the best-friend-contract. Right there in the first half of it.”

“Ah, I see. Do these things come in writing these days?” Harry’s smile was a thing of beauty. “Gone are the days of bribery, threats, and mutually assured destruction?” He started giggling a bit. Eggsy thought it was the most beautiful sound of the world (right after Daisy’s giggle, but then, why even compare something to utter perfection). Even if it was produced by his own joke.

“It’s still a part of it, but why go there when you don’t have to.” Eggsy stepped closer to the man, breathing in his after-shave.

Before he could ask more about the older man, Eggsy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Stepping back, he took it out of his jacket and saw a text from Roxy, asking him where he was, as dinner was already being served.

“Something the matter?” Harry asked him in a quiet voice.

As much as he hated to break the spell, it was time to go back and fulfill his duties as Roxy’s date for the evening. “Dinner has started. I guess we should get back.”

“Ah yes. Time always does get away from me when I’m surrounded by beautiful things.” Harry looked him straight into the eyes as he said this, quite obviously not talking about the butterflies encased all around them. “Shall we, then?” He lightly touched Eggsy’s elbow and guided him out of the exhibition and towards the grand hall. Light as the touch may have been, to Eggsy it felt like a branding. A sign, that this perfect man was not just a figment of his imagination but a real human being. Who responded to his flirting!

\------

Eggsy and Harry were the last people to rejoin the party, all the other guests being already seated at the tables set up in the hall. Several heads turned their way as they approached, some people simply curious as to who was still missing, other people looking for something or someone to gossip about.

It turned out that they were seated at the same table. Harry took his seat next to a bald man with glasses. “Galahad, late again, I see. The butterflies catching your attention again.” Than man spoke with a Scottish accent - something that featured regularly in Eggsy’s fantasies when he was alone.

He quickly made his way to the opposite end of the table, where Roxy was waiting for him, before he did something stupid, like fall to his feet in front of the two men.

“Ditching me already, Eggsy? We haven’t even eaten yet.” The look she gave him was a mix of curiosity and put-upon shock.

“Sorry, love, you know how it is. No one can resist the charms of Eggsy Unwin.” Eggsy took his seat between Roxy and one of her cousins, a tall blonde woman who already slurred her words a bit, obviously having participated generously in the drinks service before the dinner.

“Uh-huh.” Roxy turned back to continue the conversation she had with her father about her upcoming trip to Paris. She planned to check out the courses the Sorbonne had to offer in person, before she applied for a semester abroad.

Throughout the dinner Eggsy tried to pay attention to the conversations going on around him. He really enjoyed talking to Mrs. Morton, who was a teacher and always asked about Daisy. Nonetheless he would sometimes (alright, fine, _regularly_ ) look down the table to simple watch Harry for a moment or two. If it happened that their eyes locked, Eggsy would quickly turn away and turn red, embarrassed at having been caught. Why was this happening? How could that man have such an intense effect on Eggsy?

“You do realise he’s old enough to be your father, right?” Roxy said only loud enough for him to hear, drawing his attention away from Harry.

“Ok, first of all, not everyone’s father waits to be in his fifties before he starts having children. And second, if this is how long it takes, then so be it. Look at him. That level of attractiveness needs to be cultivated. It needs someone who knows what to do with it. Can’t just hand it out willy-nilly to a twenty-something with more libido than brains. Got enough shitwits running around London, thinking they’re the answers to everyone’s prayers. No. _This_ is class. _This_ is sophistication. _This_ is wet-dream material, right there!” By the end of his little rant Eggsy had become louder and louder, and had in fact attracted the attention of some of the other people sitting around them. Including Roxy’s uncles. “Shit.”

“Wow.”


	4. Chapter 4

Eggsy stayed quiet throughout the rest of dinner. It was bad enough that he had caused a scene while surrounded by so many posh people, but every time he looked up from his plate, James was watching him, grinning from ear to ear. To be quite frank, it started to scare Eggsy a bit. James on a mission was a fearless thing, and Eggsy had never had this kind of attention trained on him before.

After everyone had had desserts and coffee, there was a small tour planned, to go see the new exhibit that was opening the following week. It was on snakes and spiders, their venoms, and the cures that were being developed against them.

While the party was going through the exhibit, the catering staff would dress down the impromptu dining room, and set up a larger bar, and dance floor. It was a very elaborate Christmas party after all.

The tour through the Venom exhibit was rather interesting, and many of the guests, who worked with Roxy’s mother in the research department at a hospital, started debating on the results, and how they could be applied. Eggsy was only half listening, having found Harry and the Scottish man standing in front of a large case containing a black and yellow snake.

Harry turned around and fixed his eyes on Eggsy, who stood perfectly still. He debated on whether or not he should look away again, but having been caught staring like this, he decided to rather stand his ground.

The party moved on, but Eggsy stayed where he was. Harry turned to the other man, saying something that Eggsy couldn’t hear from where he was standing, and then walked towards him.

“Hello, Eggsy. How was your dinner?”

“Was alright. Yours?” They slowly walked behind the rest of the group.

“The food was quite good. But the entertainment was lacking. From what I’ve heard, your end of the table had more excitement than mine did.” His smile was innocent enough, but Eggsy wasn’t fooled.

“So you heard about me embarrassing myself in front of lots of posh people, have you? Come to gloat?”

“Never that. Believe me, I’ve been to enough of these parties in my life, and things like that make a party interesting. If nothing else, you’ll not be forgotten soon.”

“Not sure that’s a good thing…” Eggsy was just trying to figure out how to move past his embarrassment and get back to the lovely flirting they’d done before in the _Creepy Crawlies_ exhibit, when the bald Scot came towards them.

“Harry! Sorry, to interrupt, but I was just on the phone with Arthur, and he wants to push the meeting tomorrow morning back an hour. I thought I’d tell you now, before James gets to me with the punch he so desperately wants me to try. Bet you ten quid that he spiked it.” The man turned to Eggsy. “Sorry, lad. I’m Merlin, nice to meet you.”

“Eggsy. Nice to meet you, too... Merlin? What you have a whole Camelot thing going on there?” Eggsy shook his hand, and couldn’t stop the chuckle escaping his mouth. Both Harry and Merlin stood still as statues.

“Excuse me?” Harry sounded wary of him, while Merlin took out his phone, typing at lightening speed.

“I’m just saying… Merlin, Arthur, Percival, heard him call you Galahad, earlier. Do I get a nickname, too?” He put the cheekiest grin he could manage on his face.

“My my, you are perceptive. Is ‘Eggsy’ not good enough anymore?” Harry had gotten over his shock, and Merlin looked a bit more relaxed again, as well.

“Nah, I’m just saying, I fancy I’d be a good enough knight, don’t you think?” Eggsy gave him a slow twirl, showing off everything he had to offer.

“Maybe so.” Harry’s smile turned predatory. “I wonder what else is hiding under that suit of yours.”

“For Christ’s sake, Harry, stop playing with your food.” Merlin clearly heard enough. With a parting nod to Eggsy, he walked back to the main part of the festivities.

“I’m guessing I’m the food in this analogy?” Eggsy looked back at Harry once Merlin had stepped out of sight.

“Well, you do look rather delectable. Positively sinful.” Harry started to move even closer towards him. There was a distinct change in tone when he spoke this time. Merlin had been right - this wasn’t just playful banter and flirting anymore, this was a man on the hunt. “Tell me, Eggsy, do you taste as delicious as you look?” Harry’s eyes moved from his own down to his mouth, and continued down over his chest and further down to his… Ok, Eggsy was getting lightheaded. He was pretty sure it was because his body couldn’t figure out if it should send his entire blood supply to his face or to his cock.

Before there was a definitive outcome, Roxy appeared at the end of the hallway. “There you are! Eggsy, could I - ”

“NOT FUCKING NOW!!!”


	5. Chapter 5

There was absolute silence. Eggsy himself was shocked that he had yelled at his best friend like that.

Roxy, on the other hand, didn’t seem mad or hurt. She crossed her arms in front of her body, stood perfectly still in the entrance to the hallway, and raised her eyebrows. “You want to try that again?”

“I…” He didn’t know what to say. He looked back to Harry, who was failing to hide his smile, and with a quick ‘Excuse me, please’ he turned away from the other man, and walked straight past his Roxy towards the bar, where he grabbed two flutes of champagne.

Roxy, who had followed him to the bar, reached for one of the glasses, but stopped her hand mid-air, when Eggsy downed one of the glasses in a single go, then started on the second one.

“You ok there, Eggs?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Sorry about just now, I don’t know what…”

“It’s fine, Eggsy. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something.” Roxy asked the bartender for a Gimlet, her signature drink, and turned to back to her friend. “This charade isn’t working.”

Eggsy was overcome by a wave of regret. His purpose that evening was to support Roxy, play the loving boyfriend, and instead he had been running off to the handsome stranger with the perfect posterior. “Oh my God, Roxy, I am so sorry. I’ll stay with you now, promise. Wanna go find you gran, and make out in front of her?”

“No! Gross, no. No no.” She made a face at Eggsy’s outraged expression, grabbed the glass that the bartender had set before her, and pulled her friend to a less populated area of the hall. “So, listen, it’s not just because of your crush that this isn’t working anymore. I think I might have met someone.”

“The who, the what, the why, the when, the where??” Eggsy almost looked more excited than when she had gotten him tickets to 'invitation only' car expostition.

“Her name’s Amelia. She’s Merlin’s goddaughter. The bald Scot who works with James and Perce? I think I saw you talking to him earlier. Anyway, she’s visiting from Berlin, so he brought her along to the party. I quite like her, and she asked me if I wanted to go grab a drink with her, someplace in the city.”

“Rox, that’s great! Go for it! You want to leave now? Make our excuses? Give me a couple of minutes, and we can go.” He put his glass down on a nearby table, and started to walk towards the exit.

“No, Eggsy, you don’t have to go, if you don’t want to. I think grandmother is about to head home herself, so it won’t matter if we continue playing along, anyway, so stay! Drink. Flirt. I’ll do the same.” She grinned at him, and pulled him into a hug.

“All right, then, if you’re sure. Call me tomorrow? Gotta make sure that my beloved made it home safely.” He kissed her cheek, and led her towards the coatroom.

“I will. Have to make sure that you didn’t make it home yourself.” Roxy winked at him, grabbed her coat, and went to find her parents to say goodbye.

Eggsy looked after her, letting his eyes roam over the remaining party attendants. A couple of people were dancing, but most were just standing around the high tables, drinking and talking.

“Eggsy! Sweet Prince! Give us a kiss!” James suddenly appeared next to him, and pulled him into a hug, smacking a loud kiss onto his cheek.

“Well, hello there, James. Does Percy know that you’re running around molesting people? Shouldn’t you be kept supervised at all times?”

“Ah, yes, but my dearest husband is currently saying his goodbyes to Roxy, so you’ve got me all to yourself for the moment.”

“Lucky me.”

“It is! It truly is.” He pulled away. “So. Eggsy. About dinner.”

Eggsy groaned, trying to get away from Roxy’s uncle. “Please don’t.”

“Oh, but I have to. And you know that I have to.” He grinned, and followed the shorter man. “So which one is it? Merlin or Harry? I couldn’t be sure. I saw you come in late with Harry, but the way you looked at Merlin… could be both. Was it the accent? I bet it’s the accent. He’s a bit of a scary bastard, but every now and then he has his moments…”

“Are you drunk?” Eggsy had to smile at James’ antics.

“No! Maybe. Who cares! So, Merlin? Harry? Or…” He wriggled his eyebrows in Eggsy’s direction. “Both?” He chuckled at Eggsy’s blush. “Oh, it’s all right, young one. You wouldn’t be the first to succumb to their charms, mystical as they might be.”

Eggsy started to look a touch uncomfortable, so James took a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray as he was walking by, and pushed it into the younger man’s hand. “Eggsy, my boy, you will be all right. They are both fine men, when they choose to be. Have a bit of fun, if that’s what you want! And if they’re not treating you well, you come and tell me, and I’ll have Percy kick their butts.” He turned to gesture to his husband, who was watching them with a suspicious look on his face. “Speaking of whom, I should probably get back to my beloved, before he comes to fetch me.” He started to move away from Eggsy, but turned around to give him his parting words. “Enjoy yourself, Eggsy, you deserve it. It will be fine.” He smiled, and walked away.

Eggsy looked across the party again, and saw Harry standing at the bar, when he remembered something. “Hey, James?”

The man turned around again, having been just within earshot. “Yup?”

“Do you have one of them King Arthur nicknames? Like, there’s Arthur, Merlin, Percival, Galahad… what’s yours?”

James had looked a bit taken aback at first, but quickly played it off. “Lancelot. At your service.” He bowed, ridiculously deeply, and went to stand beside his husband.


	6. Chapter 6

Eggsy approached Harry, who was standing at the bar, nursing a martini.

“Very James Bond, standing there in a tux, with a martini. Suits you.”

“Eggsy, don’t ever make the mistake to shake a martini. There’s a reason it’s meant to be stirred. Stirring it mixes the drink without braking the ice. Shaking it does exactly that, it breaks the ice, and thereby waters down the martini. And don’t _ever_ make a martini using vodka. Use gin, or order something else.”

Eggsy was surprised at the passionate lecture he had just gotten. “Promise. So they didn’t get that right in the movies.”

“They get very little right.”

“And you’d know that how, exactly?” He leaned against the bar, angling his body towards the taller man.

Harry turned to look him in the eyes, but instead of answering him, he changed the subject completely. “I saw Ms Morton leave, didn’t you want to go with her?”

“Nah, Rox found herself someone more interesting than me. Poor soul doesn’t understand how impossible that actually is.”

“So I now have you all to myself?” Harry moved closer to Eggsy, looking intensely into green eyes.

Eggsy swallowed, unable to move under Harry’s stare. “I guess so.”

“Would you like to dance, Eggsy?”

Eggsy let out a surprised laugh. “Never learned how to dance all proper. What even is that, a waltz?”

“A foxtrot, actually. And there is no time like the present, to learn a new skill.”

Eggsy stared at the hand Harry held out, wanting nothing more than to take it. “Uhm, maybe we wait for something a little slower? Wouldn’t want to step on your feet to many times. I want you to like me, after all.”

Harry smiled softly at the younger man, lifting his hand up to Eggsy’s face, cupping his cheek. “Eggsy, I don’t think a little spin around the dance floor is going to change how I think of you.” He traced the shorter man’s bottom lip with his thumb, and leaned closer until his mouth brushed Eggsy’s ear. “Did you know that there’s a theory on how a man’s ability of dance indicates his style in the bedroom?” He pulled back just enough to watch the younger man’s face flush bright red, his pupils blown wide. “So. Would you allow me one dance?”

Eggsy reached for the martini, and emptied the glass. He turned back to Harry, who was looking at him with an amused smile around his lips, and nodded.

They walked towards the dance floor, where Harry pulled him close to his body, until there wasn’t any room between them.

“So is this a waltz then?” The song had changed since the last time he had asked that, and the music was now a lot slower than before. Eggsy was more nervous than he ever would admit. Being pressed up against Harry didn’t help to calm his nerves at all.

“Rumba, actually. Usually you wouldn’t stand so close while dancing a rumba, but it will be much easier for you this way.” He smiled down at the shorter man. “I promise I won’t let you fall.” Slowly he moved Eggsy backwards across the dance floor.

After a few moments, Eggsy started to grow more confident, the steps being easy enough to remember. Back, step, step, back, step, step, back, …

He looked around, and saw people looking at them. Some of them looked outraged at two men dancing together, others just watched the dancing couples in general. Further back he saw James smiling, and whispering something into Percy’s ear, both looking at the two of them intently. Eggsy blushed a little, and tried to focus on Harry instead.

“You’re doing very well, Eggsy. Now, just a moment.” Harry pushed him a way a little, and spun him in a circle, before closing the distance again, placing his hand on Eggsy’s lower back. “There. Now you know another figure.”

Eggsy laughed, and tightened his hold on the taller man. He went back to looking at the other party attendants and saw Merlin leaning against the bar, just where he and Harry had been a minute before. Like other people, he was watching the couples on the dance floor, only Eggsy was absolutely certain that he didn’t care about anyone other than Harry and himself. When he noticed Eggsy looking at him, he raised his glass of whisky, before taking a sip, his eyes never leaving the younger man’s.

Eggsy nodded towards him, in greeting, but couldn’t bring himself to look away again, his eyes kept locked with the Scot’s.

“My dear, is everything all right?”

It was as if Harry’s words had broken a trance, and he quickly looked up to the taller man. “Yes, I was just… wondering where I knew this song from.”

Harry didn’t seem convinced, but let it go. “It’s Sinatra. _Strangers In The Night_. Quite fitting, I would say.”

“How so?” Eggsy remembered only some of the lyrics, having heard the song playing on his mother’s stereo a couple of times.

“You’ll see. Hopefully.” Harry smiled, and spun him in another circle.


	7. Chapter 7

The song ended after a few more turns around the dance floor. Eggsy started to lean back, away from Harry, but noticed that he couldn’t move more than a couple of inches, Harry’s grip firm around him.

“Harry? The song’s over.”

“Indeed it is. And yet I am loath to let you go. After all, I’ve only just gotten you this close. Why waste all my efforts?” The taller man pressed his hand more firmly against Eggsy’s lower back, trying to pull the blond even closer.

“Harry, people are beginning to look.” He noticed the people looking even more now that they were no longer moving.

“Let them. You’re a sight to behold, I can’t fault them.”

Eggsy supposed he had better get used to standing in front of Harry with a dumbfounded look. The man would speak in a way that he had never heard in real life, especially not directed at himself.

James and Percival were suddenly next to them, stopping their dance for a moment. “You know, if you would at least move out of the way so the experts could have a go at dancing, that would be grand.” Percival pinched his husband to draw his attention back to him, and they moved on, spinning and circling around the dance floor.

“This might not be the worst idea, actually. Standing a bit in the way, here.”

Harry moved away, but didn’t remove his hand from Eggsy’s back, guiding him off the dance floor and towards the bar. He ordered them both Martinis, then turned back to Eggsy, who was scanning the crowd.

“Looking for something? Or maybe someone?”

Eggsy looked at Harry, embarrassed at having been caught. “Just wondering who was still here, and who has already left.” The bartender put two glasses in front of them, and they each picked one up. “Well, then, Mr. Hart, here’s to…”

“Unexpected encounters.” Harry smiled, clinked their glasses, and put the drink to his lips.

Eggsy copied him, taking a long sip from his glass, trying to get a profile from the flavours. “Not bad.”

“It’s a classic, Eggsy. A classic can never be bad.”

“Really? ‘Cause technically _The Third Man_ is a classic, and that movie is just…”

Harry raised an eyebrow at his words. “You didn’t enjoy it?”

“Couldn’t tell you. Fell asleep after twenty minutes. I guess that’s a critique in and of itself.”

The other man regarded him with a look that was a mix of exasperation and fondness. Eggsy found that he liked that look quite a lot, and wouldn’t mind seeing it more on the older man’s face. Though perhaps more focused on the fondness than the exasperation.

Eggsy sipped at his drink, looking around the room again. He wondered where Merlin had gone, as he couldn’t spot the man anywhere in the hall. When his eyes landed back on Harry, he found the taller man watching him closely. Uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Eggsy emptied his glass, set it back on the counter, and excused himself to go to the bathroom.

\------

Eggsy splashed some cold water on his face, thinking about the last half hour, and how quickly things had gotten from ‘I am Roxy’s fake boyfriend’ to ‘there are two incredibly hot men out there, and at least one of them could become a night to remember’.

Things were going well with Harry, he genuinely liked the man, and if he wasn’t careful, he might ruin everything just because he was greedy enough to want both Harry as well as Merlin. He had only exchanged about two sentences with the man, and yet there was something about him that pulled him back to him.

He walked out of the men's room, and walked back towards the hall. He entered it, looked towards the bar, and stopped. Both Harry and Merlin were leaning against the counter, heads together, deep in conversation. Eggsy stayed where he was, both because he didn’t want to interrupt them, and also because he didn’t know how to act around both of them at once. It was difficult enough to keep his composure around one man, both would likely render him into a speech-deprived mess.

He was just thinking on how to buy himself more time, when Harry noticed him standing in the entrance to the hallway, and nodded his way. Merlin following the gesture, and turned to look at Eggsy.

The two man exchanged a few more sentences, before Merlin walked away from Harry, and towards Eggsy, who was frozen to the spot.

“Eggsy! I’m happy to have run into you. I shall be taking my leave now, so this is good night from me.”

“Early day tomorrow? Arthur ruling in a draconian fashion?” Eggsy stood with his hands in his trouser pockets, smirking at the bald man.

“Aye, something like that. Goodnight, lad. I hope I’ll be seeing you around, again.” He held out his hand for Eggsy to shake, his smile promising more than just friendly conversation upon a next meeting. And if the man’s hand lingered longer than strictly necessary, well, that was probably just him being overly polite.


	8. Chapter 8

Eggsy started to move towards the bar, and Harry, when he heard Percival call his name. He turned, and saw James and Percival head towards him, coats in hand.

“Eggsy, we wanted to say goodbye, we’re headed home.”

“Shame, you two seemed to be really going for it on the dance floor earlier.” He shook Percy’s hand, and let himself be pulled into a hug by James.

“Yes, well, you see, you’re not far off. In fact we’ve arrived home, I do intend to keep ‘really go-’”

“Thing very carefully about where you want to sleep tonight before you finish that sentence.” Percival crossed his arms, looking sternly at his husband. He turned to Eggsy, once he had made sure that James wasn’t going to say anything more on the subject. “Goodnight, Eggsy, the old people are going home now.”

“Old people? You’re aware that Harry is older than both of us, yes? And I’m quite sure that Eggsy doesn’t mind that at all. In fact I’d guess that one old man still has a long night ahead of him. Never fear, Eggsy! With age comes experience, and the things I could tell you about – ”

“James, so help me!”

James slowly closed his mouth, and looked from Percival back at Eggsy, who was smiling widely at the antics of the two men. “See you around, Eggsy. Have fun!” He winked at the blond, and was pulled away by his husband – probably so that he wouldn’t say anything else that could get him into potential trouble.

He watched the two men leave through the front doors, then made his way back to Harry, still smiling widely. “Hi.”

“Hello, Eggsy.”

“Would you like to get another drink?” He gestured at the empty glass next to Harry. “Or maybe dancing, again? Maybe they’ll play something slow enough for me to not mess it up too badly.”

“Actually, I had something different in mind, something I’ve been wanting to try.” Harry stepped closer to the shorter man, crowding him against the bar. He leaned down, until he was almost touching his lips to Eggsy’s. “May I?”

Eggsy stood still as a statue. Forming coherent sentences was out of the question, even his breathing had come to a halt. Failing at forming even a one worded response, he closed the distance, and pressed his lips against Harry’s. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but after Harry pulled away, he leaned in again, pressing a series of kisses to Eggsy’s lips. He wound his arms around the younger man’s back, pulling him closer to him, as he added pressure to his kisses, running his tongue along the other’s lips.

Eggsy lifted a hand to the back of Harry’s neck, playing with the soft strands of hair, while the other clutched the silk lapel. Their kisses deepened, and Eggsy lost all track of time. They could have been standing there for minutes or hours, all he knew was that it wasn’t enough, would never be enough.

At some point Eggsy had to pull away, feeling lightheaded. Whether that was due to the lack of oxygen, or simply Harry’s presence was to be determined. “That was…”

“Quite.” Harry leaned down again, kissing Eggsy just at the corner of his mouth. “I was wondering. Would you like to – ”

“Yes, I would.”

The taller man smiled, cupping Eggsy’s cheek, and running his thumb along his bottom lip, just as he had done before their dance. “You didn’t let me finish. You don’t even know what you just agreed to.”

“I trust it is something worth my while.” He grinned widely, leaning his face into Harry’s palm.

“What if I wanted to ask you if you wanted to see more butterflies?”

“Butterflies, really? Going back to where we first met? Isn’t that more of an anniversary thing?”

“Ah, but you see, there are also walls of butterflies in my home.” At Eggsy’s confused look, he added, “I told you I wanted to become a lepidopterist. Now it’s more of a hobby than a profession.”

“I see. I admit I haven’t heard that one before.”

“If you’d prefer it to be put plainly, I could also invite you back for coffee.”

“That’s put plainly?”

“As much as polite company will allow.” He smiled down at the younger man.

“Harry, you talk about polite company as if your hand wasn’t currently on my arse.” He laced their fingers together behind his back, standing on his tiptoes to kiss Harry again. “But yes, Harry, I would love to come back to your place for coffee and butterflies.”

“Lovely.” Harry kissed him again, deeply, a promise of what was to come. Eggsy was rather glad that the other man had such a strong hold on him, as he was sure that his knees would give out any moment now.

“Before we go there’s just one more thing.” He stepped back, to better look at Eggsy.  
“Yes, Harry?”

“The way you looked at Merlin earlier… How much of it was friendly, and how much of it was more than that?”

Eggsy swallowed. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, after he was so close to getting what he wanted. A few curious looks couldn’t ruin everything. He wouldn’t let it. “I don’t know what – ”

“Eggsy, please.”

His cheeks flushed a deep red. He knew it was futile to deny it, something about the other man told him that he’d see right through any lie. He stayed quiet, not wanting to verbally confirm Harry’s suspicion.

Harry sighed. “Well, it’s something to keep in mind for another day. I’m not willing to share you just yet. I’ll talk to him about it, see what he thinks.” He turned towards the coatroom, stopping, when he noticed that Eggsy hadn’t followed him. “Eggsy? Are you coming?”

Eggsy had to take a moment to restart his brain after the information Harry had just dropped on him. He was absolutely certain that Harry Hart was sent on this earth to be his personal angel. Or a demon, sent to destroy him. Either way, the answer was the same. “Yes, Harry!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it! i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did! i tried very hard to get it all done within the advent calendar time frame, so if you come across any mistakes, i'm sorry, and please tell me
> 
> i hope you had a happy christmas, if you do that, otherwise i hope you had a good sunday!


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